Republic of Titan
Background Established following the Solar Civil War, the Republic of Titan - commonly referred to as the ROT - is the second largest nation in human history by population, and the third largest cohesive government entity by area. Having begun its life as a collection of secessionist guerrilla groups from all over Sol, the Republic always wore less of a democratic veneer than the United Earth Federation. When the Solar Civil War ended, the secessionists found themselves suddenly in need of a system of governance to make up for the UEF's absence in outer Sol. They adapted the adhoc structure of the combined Rebellion military into an administrative organ, and this eventually formed the core of the Republic's government. Many of the corporations in Saturn's planetary system - which either went out of business or came close as a result of the war - were bought out by the military and absorbed into the Republic, then reformed into the ROT's various state corporations. Unlike the UEF, standards of living in the Republic are fairly consistent throughout, with most enjoying satisfactory conditions. In the Republic, military service is mandatory for all adults without special exceptions. History The Republic of Titan arose out of The Rebellion - a system-wide alliance of revolutionaries seeking independence from the United Earth Federation. Most of its members came from the planetary systems of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, with some hailing from the Oort Belt, Pluto, Ceres, or inner Sol as well. The Rebellion was led by the legendary captain Aleksander Icthos, who also wrote the Republic's constitution. When the war ended in victory for the Rebels, the Federation government withdrew an enormous amount of Federal assets from the territory they ceded before handing it over, and the Rebels were in dire straits. With little other option, the Rebellion's military was used to arbitrate and enforce common law in the interim while the various local governments in the new Republic worked out their systems of administration. In its task, the military was so studious and effective that many smaller local governments simply deferred to them, and this solidified the military as the central pillar of the Republic. Instead of taking total control over its constituent regions, however, the military's leadership fully committed to upholding the constitutional ideals of their late hero, Aleksander Icthos. The various local governments in Saturn's planetary system were systematically dismantled, their wealth and assets seized and redistributed to the local populations. After conducting a census, the military established governing zones throughout Saturn's planetary system that were roughly equal in population. Each governing zone was headed by a Union, and the administrative responsibilities of the prior governments were integrated into them. Though the Republic had originally planned on creating such zones throughout all of outer Sol, it was found to be a logistical impossibility due to the vast distances between planetary systems. The Republic of Titan's central government was formed on Titan out of a combination of civilian and military interests and made great headway in unifying Saturn's residents, but was unable to effectively govern the populations of outer Sol's other planetary systems and regions. In order to make up for this flaw, the Republic established the Outer Planets Alliance, a colonial authority responsible for governing outer Sol. Over the proceeding decades, the Republic grew into a mighty economic and military power. Although it is much smaller than the Federation, the Republic established resource dominance in outer Sol and its influence extended far past its own borders. In spite of their bloody history, the Federation and the Republic have become close national allies since their separation, sharing most information other than state, military or technological secrets. Since the 2270s, the two countries have shared a close trading relationship, as well as a defensive military alliance for dealing with alien threats, specifically the Krut. Structure The Republic of Titan's government is a unitary system consisting of two main branches of government - the Citizen's Assembly and the Military-Industrial Council. All government functions in the Republic are presided over by panels, assemblies or groups, not single individuals. Governance of the Republic's various territories is delegated to the regional government Unions, each one a multi-tiered organization containing separate assemblies for municipalities, cities, regions, or even entire planets. The higher-level assemblies are permitted to overrule the lower-level assemblies, but this is generally a rare occurrence. The Citizen's Assembly is the main legislative branch of the Republic government, and consists of elected representatives from Unions across the Republic. The Citizen's Assembly uses a pure majority rule vote and is responsible for making and modifying law, levying and collecting taxes, making important decisions that impact the entire Republic, and for overseeing the Military-Industrial Council. Elections for assembly-members occur once every three years, though it is generally the case that assembly-members are continuously re-elected until their retirement. The Citizen's Assembly also serves as a liaison between the central government and the Republic of Titan's Protectorate, the Outer Planets Alliance. The Military-Industrial Council serves as both the judicial and executive branches of the Republic. It consists of influential representatives from state industries, as well as high-level military leaders, their aides and staff, and the various governmental departments responsible for the day-to-day application and interpretation of law. The Republic's judiciary is an extension of the Republic of Titan Space Armada's military court, with magistrates appointed by the Council presiding over both military and civilian matters.